Waqar Younis warns Pakistan are 'losing a player' as Babar Azam buckles under Test captaincy burden

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has launched a stinging critique of Babar Azam's second spell as Test captain, warning that the Pakistan Cricket Board risks sacrificing one of its finest batters by continuing to load him with the leadership burden.

Waqar, who has served in several coaching roles with the Pakistan men's team, said Babar remains a technically accomplished and elegant batter, but insisted the 31-year-old visibly struggles once the captaincy comes his way.

"I have seen him as a player. Technically, a very sound player. Very complete and elegant player. As a player, I don't personally see anything wrong with him. But I think with the captaincy pressure, he takes a little too much on himself. Whenever he takes this responsibility or is given a responsibility, I don't think he performs that well," Waqar said during an event.

He went further, suggesting Babar's inability to fully back his teammates under pressure makes the job unfair to everyone involved — including the captain himself.

"So I think we are losing a player if we are going to give him this responsibility because he struggles to handle that. You have to be strong as a person, and you have to be really out there and back your players. If you cannot back your players, it's unfair to the players and the job," he added.

Criticism lands after humiliating 3-0 defeat to England

Waqar's remarks came shortly after Pakistan endured a 3-0 defeat in their three-Test series against England — a campaign overshadowed by a major shake-up inside the Pakistan camp.

After Pakistan fell 0-2 behind in the series, the PCB sent seven players and two coaches back home before the final Test. Babar then found himself at the centre of a fresh storm when he revealed ahead of the third Test that he had not been consulted by the board, headed by Mohsin Naqvi, over the decisions.

That comment drew criticism from former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who questioned Babar for not standing by his team.

Babar had returned to the Test captaincy earlier this year after Shan Masood was removed from the position following Pakistan's 2-0 series defeat against Bangladesh.

The century drought that will not end

Babar's recent struggles with the bat have added another layer to the debate surrounding his leadership role. The 31-year-old has now gone almost four years without a Test century, with his most recent hundred in the format coming against New Zealand back in December 2022.

He came close to ending the drought against the West Indies, and again in the third and final Test against England, but missed out on both occasions after being dismissed.

Ninth in the World Test Championship

Pakistan's recent results have also left them languishing ninth in the World Test Championship standings with just four points. The team were further penalised by an 11-point deduction for a slow over-rate in the third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, deepening a crisis that now surrounds both the side's results and its captaincy question.